Suffolk PR Agency Director Elected to National PRCA Council

Penny Arbuthnot, managing director at Genesis PR, has joined the Council which is the formal mechanism used by the PRCA (Public Relations Communications Association) to consult with the industry’s most senior practitioners on the issues concerning PR and communications. One of its roles is to provide advice and guidance for the industry professionals which make up the PRCA’s membership.

Penny Arbuthnot commented: “Being an elected member of the PR and Communications Council will be an opportunity to share knowledge and insights with other leaders of the profession and influence the growth and development of our sector which now employs over 83,000 people and contributes £12.9 billion to the UK economy.”

“There has been phenomenal change in PR and the media over recent years, and the best PR agencies have risen to the challenge and kept ahead of the curve in terms of digital and social services integrated with strategic PR and media relations. My interests include education, skills and making sure the right standards of continuous professional development are in place. It’s a dynamic industry and we need to ensure we have the right training and career opportunities in place to attract and keep the best PR talent.”

She added: “I’ll also be sharing with other Council members the challenges and opportunities of growing an award winning, regionally based PR agency.”

Penny has over 20 years of PR experience having first worked in London and Essex before establishing her own agency. She has grown Genesis with co-director Charles Arbuthnot to be a leading agency in the region. Genesis now employs 14 staff and provides integrated services to support clients’ business and marketing goals, including reputation management, social media, Search Engine Optimisation and digital marketing.

In 2016 Genesis was the only PR agency in the East of England to be nominated for the prestigious UK title of Outstanding Small PR Consultancy of the Year in the national CIPR Excellence Awards.

The agency also won Best Mid-Sized agency in the CIPR PR Pride Awards 2016 for East Anglia, Thames and Chiltern region and Gold in the Corporate and Business Communications category.

The judges were highly impressed by Genesis’ excellent commitment to professionalism and CPD, matched with a social commitment to local causes and institutions. Judges said the winning entry for Corporate and Business Communications (for Genesis’ work with business and financial advisory firm Grant Thornton) ‘delivered real return on investment, while demonstrating the value of PR in improving market position and helping develop the business. The campaign achieved impressive media results and displayed effective evaluation.’